South Dakota Mines Tops State and Nation in Multiple Rankings

A range of organizations have once again placed South Dakota Mines among the top universities in the state and nation. This latest list of rankings affirms Mines' longstanding reputation as a best-in-class STEM university with a fantastic return on investment for graduates.

“To put it simply, our graduates change the world,” says Mines President Jim Rankin, Ph.D., P.E. “Mines alumni are highly valued innovators who frequently become leaders in their fields. Our graduates make a difference, and these rankings reflect their success.”  

• Niche ranks South Dakota Mines among the top 1% of the best small colleges in America. Niche also ranks South Dakota Mines #1 in seven categories in South Dakota, including best college, best value, best professors, top public university, and best academics.   

• The Bipartisan Policy Center, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, released this report showing that a South Dakota Mines degree has a lifetime return on investment of $1,651,277. The data provided in the report shows that Mines is the number one school in the state for lifetime earnings and among the top universities in the nation for return on investment. 

• This Georgetown University study ranks Mines 27^th in the nation out of 710 public universities for lifetime earnings with a bachelor's degree. Mines topped other public schools around the country for a lifetime return on investment (or 40-year net present value) like the University of California Davis, Rutgers, Texas A&M, Purdue, and many others. 

• Military Friendly ranks Mines the third best university in the nation for veterans in their graduate school category. Their website states, “South Dakota Mines is an excellent choice for military students because, most importantly, the school's graduate placement rate for military/veteran students is 100% for the past six years.”

• Colleges of Distinction again recognized Mines in the 2022-2023 academic year in a number of categories. The website quotes Mines alumnus Savoy Schuler, who graduated in 2018 with a degree in computer science. “The cost-to-opportunity deal Mines offers students is simply irreplaceable, and I'll evangelize it for the rest of my life,” says Schuler. 

• Mines is listed among one of Forbes Top Colleges for 2022. This prestigious list includes the top 500 schools in the country. Their website states, “Whether a school is in the Top 10 or near the bottom, the 500 schools on Forbes' Top Colleges list showcase the finest in American education. Forbes' top colleges ranking spotlights schools that offer an excellent education at a great price, graduate high-earners and propel students to become successful entrepreneurs and influential leaders in their fields.” 

• US News and World Report ranks Mines among the top regional universities in South Dakota and #4 in the Midwest.   

• Degreechoices ranked South Dakota Mines the best college in the state for 2022. The website states that Mines “boasts one of the nation's best engineering programs and one of the highest starting salary averages for graduates.”

• College Factual ranks Mines in the top 1% for multiple engineering degrees in both regional and national rankings. The website awarded Mines 187 badges in the 2023 rankings.

• Locally, the university's Museum of Geology was voted Best of the Black Hills by Rapid City Journal readers in 2022.  

More information about how to attend Mines can be found on the Office of Admissions webpage.